Improvement in wool-washing machines



2Sheets--S heeti. I. K. PROCTER 8; G. R. LINDSAY.

weal-Washing Machine.

Patented May 11, I875.

Wirzesses. y??? 2Sheets--Sheet2. l. K. PRUCTGR 8; C. R. HNDSAY.

wow-washin Machine. NO.163,251. Paten tedMayH,l87 5.

Attorneys.

THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO.-L!TH.39&4 PARK PLAGEJ' V.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

JOSIAH K. PROGTOR AND CHARLES R. LINDSAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;SAID LINDSAY ASSIGNOR TO JAMES SMITH & (30.,

OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT m WOOL-WASHING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,251, dated May 11,1875; application filed October 9, 1873. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOSIAH K. PROGTOR andCHARLES R. LINDsAY, of the city of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Wool- VV-ashing Machines; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figurelisalongitudinal, and Fig. 2 across, section of the machine, the latterview being taken in the line as w of Fig. l.

The nature of our invention consists in the peculiar construction andcombination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, having referenceparticularly to the following points:

First, to hinging the chute or incline so that the same may be adjustedat any necessary angle or inclination, or raised out of the way topermit easy access to the bowl for the purpose of cleaning the same;secondly, to making the lower row of teeth on the incline or chutehinged or pivoted, so that they will yield when the wool is forced overthem by the fork, but will rise and enter the wool should it slidebackwardly, said hinged or pivoted teeth being on or above the surfaceof the bottom of the chute, and not below the same or working throughopenings therein; thirdly, to providing means for speedily cleansing thebowl, said means consisting of a pipe or pipes, whereby the bowl may beflooded with water, which is drawn off through the central openin g orvalve in the mud-well.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A is the bowl, having aperforated false bottom,

. A, and a curved incline or chute, B. O is one over and upon thesepins 1) by the fork 0 they will yield and be depressed, but will riseand enter the wool automatically should the latter begin to slide backtoward the fork. The pins b arelocated on the surface, or above thebottom B of the chute B, instead of being made to pass through openingstherein, said openings being objectionable for the reason that they willallow the exit of wool, which is thus lost when the washing-liquor isdischarged from the bowl. The chute B is pivoted or hinged at 12 so thatit maybe adjusted to any desired angle by means of the setscrews In,which pass through cars 11 and find bearings on the edge of the bowl A,or raised, as shown in dotted lines, to permit access to the bowl forcleaning.

The object of making the chute adjustable is this: In course of time thesqueeze-rolls wear down in their bearings, the upper roll dropping belowthe chute. If the chute be made fixed, an opening will thus be formedbetween it and the lower roll, through which quantities of wool willpass to the bowl and thereby be lost. By making the chuteadjustable-whieh is effected by pivotingit may be lowered to correspondwith the depression of the roll, and the above-mentioned loss avoided.

D is the carrier, connected by means of the pivoted arm E to the fork O.The carrier D rests and moves upon the sides B of the chute B, and isprovided with hinged or pivoted teeth 01, arranged as shown, so thatthey will engage with the wool 0n the chute when said carrier isadvanced toward the squeeze-rolls F, and will slide over the woolwithout engagin g therewith during the backward motion of the carrier.

By means of this construction the carrier may be advanced and retractedin the same plane, thereby dispensing with the costly and cumbrousmechanism heretofore employed for elevating the carrier during itsbackward motion. G is a pipe provided with a series of apertures, g g,(or an elongated slot would answer the same purpose,) through whichwater is conveyed for flooding, and thereby speedily cleansing, the bowlA. It is designed to locate the pipe G at or about the beginning of thecurve of the bowl, and also to employ a similar pipe at the other end ofsaid bowl. The valve in the mud-well (not shown in the drawing) beingopened, anda full head of water let on through these pipes, the bowlwill be very thoroughly cleansed in a very short space of time, thewater passing in an even sheet from each end of the bowl, carrying withit the mud and impurities collected on the bottom. By means of thisconstruction the bowl may be very speedily and easily cleaned withoutthe necessity, heretofore existing, of raising the false bottom toeffect the same result.

It will be observed that the hinged teeth are arranged under the carrierin transverse rows, each row being hung upon a rod in such manner thatall the teeth in each such row will move simultaneously, therebyeffecting an even delivery to the squeeze-rolls. The carrier and hingedor pivoted teeth are so combined and arranged that they form, at theirjunction, an acute angle on the upper side of the latter. This enablesthe teeth to freely enter and firmly engage with the stock on theincline as soon as the carrier begins its upward movement, it beingobvious that if the teeth were arranged to form a right angle with thecarrier, no such ready entrance and thorough engagement with the stockcould be obtained.

It is admitted that in J. K. Proctors patent of November 26, 1872, No.133,481, an incline and fork are illustrated, and that in the case thesecams and instrumentalities are dispensed with, the carrier moving up anddown in the same plane over the incline.

It is distinguished from Ackroyds patent in this: Ackroyd has neither anincline or false bottom, nor forks. Instead of an incline, Ackroydproposes to place studs on the side or end of the bowl-a construction wedeem impracticable-while we employ an incline, over and parallel towhich moves the carrier, the latter being combined with thelifting-fork, so as to work alternately therewith.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. In a wool-washing machine, thecombination of the following elements: a chute .or incline for bearingthe stock to the squeezerolls, a fork or deliverer for placing the stockon said incline, and a reciprocating carrier, moving to and fro in thesame plane above said incline, and having hinged or pivoted teeth.

2. The combination of a reciprocating carrier, having hinged or pivotedteeth, and .a fork or deliverer for transferring the wool from thebottom of the bowl to said carrier, the latter moving to and froin thesame plane.

3. The chute or incline B, hinged or pivoted substantially as described,so as to admit of adjustment with reference to the squeeze-rolls, andallow easy access to the bowl for the purpose of cleaning the same, asset forth.

4. The hinged or pivoted pins 1), located on or above the surface of thebottom of the chute B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a wool-washing machine, a transverse flood-pipe, Gr, havingdischargeorifices g g, and constructed substantially as shown anddescribed, so that the water therefrom will be discharged in an evensheet over the bottom of the bowl, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 4th day of October, 1873.

JOSIAH K. PROOTOR. OH ARLES R. LINDSAY.

